He said: “The effects must be that the truth, however distressing or unpalatable, will be brought out into the light. Let’s pause for the memory of each of the victims who should be properly respected.”

President of Hillsborough Family Support Group Trevor Hicks told reporters outside the court: “We are absolutely delighted. Justice is on its way. This is a huge step for the families.”

The Attorney General said: “Only new inquests can give a fuller answer as to whether intervention would have altered the tragically fatal outcome.

“That may lead to a markedly different conclusion as to how the deceased came by their death that would be recorded in new inquisitions. As such only new inquest, rather than a further judicial inquiry, can meet the interests of justice.”

Lord Judge said the application had sound grounds and he explained his reasons for ordering new inquests into the deaths of the 96 Liverpool fans.

He also paid tribute to the families saying: “We must record our admiration for the determined search for the truth, for the causes of the disaster and how it occurred.

He also rounded on the decision to take blood alcohol samples from victims as part of the flawed initial inquests.

The Lord Chief Justice added: “This decision conveyed the impression to families that it explicitly or implicitly suggested that the deceased had somehow contributed to the disaster… [in fact] each one was a helpless victim of those terrible events.”

He also said the 3.15 cut off point meant “families of the victims did not regard the process that culminated in those verdicts as satisfactory, they believe it was wholly inadequate”.

“In our judgement the 3.15 cut-off point presents not only the most dramatic but perhaps the most distressing aspect of the material.”

He said it had four particularly “troublesome consequences”.

Firstly that many of the victims might have survived past that point had there been a better rescue operation. Secondly that it had not allowed for examination of further contributing factors or omissions which led to deaths. Thirdly, he said the failure of police control had not been looked at. And fourthly the way other organisations responded had not been examined.

Lord Judge said: “In our judgement this area of evidence is sufficient in its own right to justify the quashing of the original inquests.” He also said the “reprehensible” alteration of statements by the police could be a factor for the new inquests to look at adding: “The efforts by some to conceal neglect may have some reflection on the cases.”

The judge quoted the independent panel’s report which exposed unheeded safety warnings at the Hillsborough stadium.

And he said he wanted the new inquests to be held in a non-adversarial way unlike the original inquests which were “scarred” by the legal battles.

“The effects must be that the truth, however distressing, or unpalatable will be brought out into the light. Let’s pause for the memory of each of the victims who should be properly respected.”

Margaret Aspinall, chair of Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: “It is a momentous day and means so much to us. We have been fighting for this for 23-and-a half years.

“We have been desperate to get the verdicts overturned.”

Sheila Coleman, of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, said: “This truly is a momentous day for those that have fought for 23 years from those dark days in Sheffield when the accidental death verdict was recorded.

“The intervening years have seen a lot of other victims. The quashing of the verdicts, while 23 years too late, is the first phase in righting the wrong that is Hillsborough. It is the first phase on the road to justice.”

Liverpool Football Club managing director welcomed today’s developments saying: “Today the High Court has quashed the original inquest verdicts which is another positive step forward for the families and survivors in their search for justice. Everyone at Liverpool Football Club remains committed to supporting the fight for justice and we hope that every person affected by this can take some comfort from today’s announcement.”

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson spoke of the “overwhelming relief” he shared with the families for whom it had seemed for a long time this day would never come.

He added: “This is a watershed moment on the road to justice for the families of the 96 and I share their overwhelming relief that, after 23 very painful years, the inquest versions have been quashed.

“It is the only right and proper decision that the High Court could make in the wake of the overwhelming and compelling evidence uncovered by the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

“We must all keep up the pressure that has driven the momentum over the last few months to make sure that the families get the justice they deserve.”

And Mr Grieve, who made the application, said: “The families’ long and painful quest for the truth reached a breakthrough with the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report.

“I hope and trust that new inquests will provide a better understanding of how each of their loved ones died, and bring closer the justice for which they have fought so hard.”

IPCC Deputy Chair Deborah Glass added: "Today's announcements are welcome news. The complex and multi-faceted investigations into the Hillsborough disaster are taking shape. The IPCC has been making progress in laying the foundations for our independent investigation into the aftermath and the future investigation into the tragic deaths of 96 people.

"The appointment of Mr Stoddart to lead the investigation into the deaths is a crucial step. His investigation will be into a wide range of agencies outside of the IPCC's remit, but, in order to ensure independence from the police service, we will be managing the element which will look at the actions of police officers in relation to the deaths of the 96 men, women and children. This means that the IPCC will have direction and control of this part of the investigation.

"The two investigations will be closely integrated and will be based in the new offices the IPCC has secured in Warrington. They will share a major incident room with full access to the underlying documentation, and will offer a single point of contact for liaison with the families.

"This is not going to be quick and easy process. But we now have a clear path ahead with all the investigative and prosecutorial bodies working in a coordinated way to complete the full picture for the families of those who died, those who were injured and those who were traumatised by the terrible events at Hillsborough.”

South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable, David Crompton, said: "The Force will continue to cooperate fully with any judicial processes following the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report and online archive.

"We do not want to cause any unnecessary delays for the families and reiterate our commitment to supporting all processes."

The Commissioner for South Yorkshire, Shaun Wright, said: "I welcome these latest developments, which are significant steps forward for the Hillsborough families in their long fight for justice.

"Following the criticisms levelled in the Hillsborough report, it's my goal to help rebuild trust in South Yorkshire Police and I support any process that brings greater accountability to the Force's actions."

A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said: "Hosting new inquests has been the desire of the families bereaved in the Hillsborough tragedy and the High Court has supported their long-held commitment.

"Sheffield City Council has always cooperated with inquiries following the disaster, including contributing all the information and documents we hold to the independent archive, and we will continue to give our cooperation willingly when required to do so."